Professor X
Coming home towards Westchester they both feel it, to Charles it's like air rushing back into his lungs, as the crushing, suffocating weight that pervaded the city and blocked his telepathy lifts. He reaches out to Hank and finds his old team is still on the road, carefully avoiding the new army presence that has set up around New York.
They arrive at the mansion before Hank. The students have taken cover in the bunker with Scott and Jubilee. Before he speaks to anyone he makes one last stop. His room. Comfort silence and peace for a moment, just for himself, before the coming storm. He is vain enough to shower and change, no need to alarm the children, because he knew he looked a sight.
He leaves Emma in a spare room to take her own comfort, and invites her to borrow some old clothes. After some investigation through the basket Charles offers she discovers Raven's 1960's left overs don't come close to fitting her properly, as women they are completely different shapes, but after a wider ranging search, she finds that Sharron's, come close. When Charles comes out wearing slacks and a comfortable cotton shirt, he finds Emma standing in the foyer a designer suit complete with high waist and jacket. She looks like something out of the 1940's, except that the skirt is a little too short, and Emma has undone three top buttons. He decides not to comment.
X
The lift doors open to reveal children grouped about the bunker, some having breakfast, others playing a games of their own and sitting on big brightly covered cushions tossed about the bunker floor. In a corner Scott was cooking eggs and bacon for the student's breakfast. Jubilee and Stronghold, were watching cartoons with some of younger mutants, Kitty was playing a video game against Bobby, who was losing, but still smiling. A young child of about five or so broke from the group having their breakfast. "Charles!" the girl screeched from the table and before he could muster a reply, the very young Molly Hayes was giving him a bear hug. Emma stood quietly by the door, observing the gathering.
"Professor you're all bruised and scratched. What happened?" His jaw was grazed, his left cheek bone bruised, clothes couldn't hide everything. The others gathered around him in a sort of semicircle, while Molly nestled in his lap. Gently he stroked her hair, taking his time as he replied, "Well there was a big accident in the city."
"Is that where Rogue went?"
"Rogue and some of the teachers were in the city with me, but they got a little lost on the way home. I am going to use cerebro to find them, just after I have a little chat with Scott and Jubilee. They've been doing such a good job looking after everyone, while I was away."
"Here you go, kiddo your eggs are ready." A teen-aged Stronghold brought her plate over to the table.
"Oh?"
"Who's she?" Molly pointed rudely not bothered about her eggs.
"This is Emma, who very bravely helped me get back to you." Xavier is thankful that not one of them is old enough to know Emma's history. "But she has never been to the mansion before Do you think you could do me a favour and look after her for me while I go use cerebro?"
Charles left with Scott and Jubilee in tow.
X
Across from the breakfast table, Molly the youngest member of the school looked up at Emma from beneath an overly large hat. "So what do you do?"
Emma stretched her fingernails inspecting them for dust, before she looked back the child, "Why, whatever I like." She replied allowing her fingernails to turn diamond. Charles didn't have to see Molly's oh so round eyes to know that she was now beaming curiously and admiration at the woman.
Ms Frost would you kindly refrain from corrupting my students?
Oh Charlie I thought we were on a first name bias by now, but as you please Professor.
While Charles prepared cerebro and filled in Scott and Jubilee on the situation, Emma endured a bowl of sugar coated corn flakes, gleefully poured by her newest admirer.
Emma toyed with the metal spoon, her eyes distant.
"Don't you like them?"
No. I was wondering what you do honey?
Oh you're like the professor! I am super tough! But I am not fully grown up yet, so I am not sure yet, the professor says I need to wait till I am bigger for all my power to develop.
X
He engages cerebro without hesitation the electrodes hum briefly before he reaches out, flying with the power of cerebro, looking for his team. He finds Jean first, but her mind sluggish, almost sleeping, and hard to communicate with. He catches images of corridors, cages, a prison somewhere? Where Jean? Where are you? Trees, water, a container full of poison, a face large with distorted white teeth and a bead; William Stryker he recognized. The images Jean was sending began to blur and so he continued on. He lets Wolverine know he is coming, Storm and Rogue seem to be in a similar state to Jean, drugged and almost impossible to speak to. Over all of them he spreads comfort. There is another mind with them and he brushes past it briefly as he searches for Raven, the mind is unknown sleeping like Jean, and just like Jean he can sense a telepathic kind of power behind it. Raven recognizes his touch an almost instantly and without delay, she gives him information, the layout of the building, the numbers of guards, as much as she can before she poses a question by deliberating thinking of Erik. He reassures her and moves on. This was not a time for home comings.
At last he allows himself to seek Erik. He hadn't done so in many years now, the helmet an ever present barrier between them.
Erik!
Charles!
I am coming.
Thank you. And the words are completely heartfelt.
X
Charles takes off the helmet. Behind him Hank, stands waiting with a strip of co-ordinates in his hand. Beside him Alex and Sean wait also. Charles cannot help but to smile warmly, despite what has happened, because he has coordinates, directions, old friends, and a plan not far behind.